Al Jazeera and Israel: How the broadcaster’s long-running tensions with governments escalated into deadly strikes

Palestinian journalist Anas Al-Sharif, 28, was killed late Sunday in an Israeli strike on a tent sheltering journalists outside Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital, along with four Al Jazeera colleagues.

The Israeli military said on Sunday that it targeted Al Jazeera journalist Anas al-Sharif in Gaza City, accusing him of being a Hamas operative and a “military terrorist.” According to the broadcaster, the strike killed five of its journalists. Al Jazeera strongly denied that its reporters had any ties to Hamas, accusing Israel of fabricating evidence to silence its coverage ahead of a planned offensive to take over Gaza City, the New York Times reported.

The attack comes against the backdrop of a complete ban on foreign journalists entering Gaza since October 2023. This restriction has left Palestinian reporters — particularly those from Al Jazeera — as some of the only on-the-ground voices documenting the war’s toll, which has included tens of thousands of Palestinian deaths and widespread humanitarian suffering.

How Al Jazeera rose to prominence

Founded in 1996 with funding from Qatar, Al Jazeera positioned itself as the first regional broadcaster to break away from the heavily state-controlled narratives common in Arab media. Its Arabic-language channel quickly became known for granting airtime to a wide range of perspectives — including Israeli officials — while also giving significant coverage to militant groups in the region. Supporters saw it as a breath of journalistic independence; critics argued it blurred the line between reporting and advocacy.

The network now operates more than 70 bureaus worldwide and employs over 3,000 people, broadcasting in multiple languages. While its English-language service targets a global audience, its Arabic channel has drawn the bulk of political controversy, particularly over its coverage of Palestinian politics and armed groups.

Israel’s accusations and bans

Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have long called Al Jazeera the “mouthpiece of Hamas.” In 2024, Israel banned the network from operating within its borders, accusing it of inciting violence and harming national security. The military also accused several Al Jazeera journalists — including al-Sharif — of belonging to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Al Jazeera dismissed these claims as baseless and politically motivated.

This is not the first time Israeli strikes have killed Al Jazeera staff. In 2024, reporter Ismail al-Ghoul and cameraman Rami al-Rifee died in Gaza, with Israel alleging militant ties in one case and none in the other. Tensions between Israel and the broadcaster had already escalated in 2022 after Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was killed while reporting in the West Bank. Independent investigations, including one by The New York Times, suggested she was shot from the vicinity of an Israeli military convoy.

Criticism from the Palestinian Authority

Al Jazeera has also faced pushback from the Palestinian Authority, which banned the network in the West Bank earlier this year, accusing it of “inciting sedition” and “interfering in internal affairs.” While the ban was lifted in May, the move underscored the broadcaster’s ability to anger multiple sides in the Palestinian political spectrum. Critics claim its coverage often echoes Hamas’s talking points and sidelines voices critical of the group — a charge the network denies.

A history of bans across the region

Beyond Israel and the Palestinian territories, Al Jazeera has been targeted by other governments. In 2017, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt banned the network amid a broader diplomatic dispute with Qatar, accusing it of backing terrorist organisations. Egypt had earlier shut down its local Al Jazeera affiliate, accusing it of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood after the 2013 ouster of President Mohamed Morsi.

Qatar’s close relationship with Hamas — hosting its political office and providing financial aid to Gaza — has further fuelled suspicion of Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Doha, however, has often acted as a mediator between Hamas and countries unwilling to engage with the group directly, including Israel and the United States.

The road ahead for press freedom in conflict zones
The latest attack on Al Jazeera journalists raises fresh concerns about the safety of reporters in war zones, especially in territories where foreign media access is heavily restricted. For Israel, the broadcaster remains a security threat; for Al Jazeera, the accusations are an attempt to undermine its reporting. In Gaza, the deaths of journalists highlight the heightened dangers for those documenting one of the world’s most intractable conflicts.